Thomas Chatterton Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Chatterton Williams
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Williams in 2020
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| Born | March 26, 1981 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Critic, author |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University New York University |
| Subject | Race, identity |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Notable works | Losing My Cool (2010) Self-Portrait in Black and White (2019) |
| Notable awards | Berlin Prize Guggenheim Fellow |
| Spouse | Valentine Faure |
| Children | 2 |
Thomas Chatterton Williams (born March 26, 1981) is an American writer and critic. He writes about culture and society. He is known for his 2019 book Self-Portrait in Black and White. He also works as a staff writer for The Atlantic magazine.
Williams is a visiting professor at Bard College. He is also a senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center there. In 2022, he received a Guggenheim fellowship, which is an award for people doing important work. Before this, he wrote for The New York Times Magazine and Harper's Magazine.
Early Life and Education
Thomas Chatterton Williams was born on March 26, 1981. His birthplace was Newark, New Jersey. His father, Clarence Williams, was Black, and his mother, Kathleen, was White. He was named after an English poet named Thomas Chatterton.
Thomas grew up in Fanwood, New Jersey. He went to Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains. After high school, he studied philosophy at Georgetown University. He earned a bachelor's degree there. Later, he got a master's degree from New York University. He studied Cultural Reporting and Criticism.
Writing Career
In 2010, Thomas Chatterton Williams published his first book. It was called Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture. This book is a memoir, which means it tells a true story from his own life. It shares his experiences growing up in New Jersey. It also compares his childhood to his father's life in the segregated South.
His second book, Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race, came out on October 15, 2019. For his work, he became a New America Fellow in 2019. He also received the Berlin Prize.
In 2020, Williams helped write an important public letter. It was called "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate". This letter was published in Harper's Magazine. Many public figures signed it. The letter talked about the importance of open discussion. It also shared concerns about people not being open to different ideas.
Today, Williams is a staff writer for The Atlantic. He is also a visiting professor at Bard College. He continues to write about important topics.
Personal Life
Thomas Chatterton Williams married Valentine Faure in 2011. She is a journalist and author from France. They live in Paris, France, with their two children.
